Gibson, Earl, Wolf withdraw from tryouts as well

Three-time U.S. men's national team attackman Ryan Boyle likes
how it ended in 2010 in England, with the ball in his stick and a
gold medal to come in a post-game ceremony. Boyle is retiring from
Team USA.

Boyle, who played for the U.S. in 2002, 2006 and 2010, winning
gold in '02 and '10, told LaxMagazine.com on Friday it's time for
him to move on. He said the decision applies only to Team USA and
not Major League Lacrosse, where he will finish his 10th
professional season Saturday with the Boston Cannons.

"After being through it three times, I know exactly what goes
into it," Boyle said. "Between the tryout and the trimmed-down
roster and the events, it's a lot. It's a big commitment, which is
understandable.

"It's arguably the highest honor that one can achieve in the
sport. That's what I believed growing up and what I still believe.
At this point in my life, I wasn't ready to make that commitment,
if I even was selected."

Additionally, the New York Lizards' Matt Gibson (concussion) and
David Earl (trying out for Team Canada), and Duke's Jordan Wolf
(undisclosed injury) will not be at Team USA tryouts Aug. 30-Sept.
1 at Goucher College in Baltimore, according to US Lacrosse. The
now 94-player pool will be trimmed to 40 afterward, with final
23-man roster not coming until after Champion Challenge in
January.

Boyle, who could have joined an elite club of four-time Team USA
members — National Hall of Famers Vinnie Sombrotto and
John DeTommaso are the only ones to do it — ends his
U.S. career ranking third all-time in Team USA history in assists
(24), seventh in goals (23) and fifth in points (47). He had eight
points in the 2010 tournament, in which the U.S. beat Canada 12-10
for the title.

"I don't have any regrets. I really enjoyed my experience. I had
a chance to win a gold medal in 2010 with some coaches that I hold
dear to my heart, including [Mike] Pressler and Tony Resch, who was
my head coach with the [MLL's] Barrage for a number of years. I got
to do that with some of my best friends in the world, like Matt
Striebel and Kyle Sweeney and Brian Dougherty.

"The game ended with the ball in my stick. I feel pretty good
about everything that happened. It's time to move on. I feel
totally grounded in that decision."

Boyle this year overtook Casey Powell as Major League Lacrosse's
all-time career points leader. Boyle now has 420. Powell, who came
out of retirement to join the Chesapeake Bayhawks midseason and
make a run at his third U.S. team, has 405. Boyle has 25 points in
13 games with the Boston Cannons this season, the lowest output of
his professional career. He topped out at 58 points in 2012 with
Boston and in 2007 with the now-defunct Philadelphia Barrage, both
teams that won MLL championships.

Boyle's decision means the U.S. will have a new quarterback of
its attack unit next summer in Denver. There are three Tewaaraton
Award winners among the 18 remaining attackman set to gather
for tryouts — Ned Crotty (2010), Steele Stanwick (2011)
and Rob Pannell (2013) — plus a host of other talents,
including reigning MLL MVP Brendan Mundorf.

"There's a number of younger players that I think the world of.
I wish them the best of luck," Boyle said. "I have full confidence
that they will bring home the gold in Denver. I'll just be a casual
fan, and spectator like everybody else, but certainly I'll be
rooting on the red, white and blue."

"He's a guy I always looked up to and modeled my game after so
it's exciting to be out here with him," Stanwick said then. "I've
been literally getting advice about everything: career stuff,
lacrosse stuff, socially. It's been really nice. He's a guy I look
up to and respect."

Boyle made his first U.S. team after his freshman year at
Princeton and played in the 2002 world championship following his
sophomore season with the Tigers. Boyle's friend and former
Princeton teammate Matt Striebel still will seek four-time Team USA
membership.

Boyle said his decision is final — he called Team USA head
coach Richie Meade directly to tell him — and he hopes the
attention going forward can be focused on those players who are
trying out.